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Currently, I prefer to keep the knives that I use in a knife block, but for knives that I don't use too often or don't fit in the block, I store them in a tray placed in a drawer. I like to protect the blades with knife covers. My two favorites? Edge-Mag and LamsonSharp's Knife Safe.

There are several different knife storage options for the home kitchen. The knife block is a very popular way of storing your knives. Knife blocks look good and are very convenient -- perhaps too convenient. If you've got children, storing your knives in a block is a dangerous proposition. So, is using a magnetic bar mounted to the wall. For households with hands controlled by inquisitive minds, it's generally best to keep your knives tucked away in a drawer. Improper storage in a drawer, however, can be more dangerous (to both you and the knife) than storing the knives on the counter or wall. Loose knives are an accident waiting to happen the next time you reach into your drawer without paying attention. The knives may also chip while rattling against each other as you open or close the drawer.

[IMG]Using an in-drawer knife tray can protect your knife and help you organize them too. I have two problems with knife trays. First, they consume a fair amount of precious drawer space, and, second, I can't seem to find a tray that can handle the different knife shapes (and brands) that I have. There's always one or two knives that just don't fit properly. So, I've taken to using knife covers and placing the knives in a drawer organizer tray.

A variety of knife covers exist -- the most popular type involves inserting the knife in a folded piece of plastic with a slicing motion. I really don't like this type of knife cover because you can't easily wash the cover (what if food, dirt, or other undesirables get stuck in the cover?), the knife scrapes against the cover as you insert it, and you're holding the cover in your hand while making a cutting motion into the cover. My preference is for knife covers that open up for knife insertion and cleaning. The knife cover should close tightly against the knife, but not allow the knife to wiggle or move to prevent scratches from being made by the very device designed to protect the knife. Let's take a look at my favorite solution: the Edge-Mag.

The Edge-Mag comes in a variety of lengths ranging from 12 inches to 3 inches. The cover is only a couple millimeters thick (like those plastic covers that you cut into), but is cable of unfolding.[IMG]

Basically, it's two magnetic strips that are held together along a joint set in the long side of the cover. When opened, the Mag-Edge can be washed and fully dried (important to avoid rusting of your knife).[IMG]

The knife can be easily inserted by placing the flat part of the blade directly onto the interior surface. The magnet holds the knife firmly in position.[IMG]

Closing the other side of the Mag-Edge completes the magnetic sandwich that securely holds the knife without increasing the thickness of the knife by too much. Enclosed in the Edge-Mag the knife is safe for storage. Also, I've found this to be the best way to protect knives in a knife roll or bag. The cover doesn't take too much space, and, when several of the Edge-Mags are stacked near each other, the magnets help keep the knives from moving during travel (the Edge-Mags covers "stick" to each other).[IMG]

I also like using the LamsonSharp KnifeSafe. It's a bit bulkier than the Edge-Mag, but it completely covers the entire blade in plastic.[IMG]

The cover opens up on hinges and can be washed easily enough. Make sure the knife and the KnifeSafe are both completely dry before storing the knife (to prevent rust).[IMG]

The knife sits in the KnifeSafe on top of two rubber pads. Opposing rubber pads on the other side of the cover holds the knife in place when closed. The KnifeSafe comes in four sizes. The largest is able to hold knives of 10-in. to 8-in. in blade length and the smallest holds 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 inch knives. Because of the placement of rubber pads, it's important to get the correct size (while a large Edge-Mag can be used for any size knife).[IMG]

When closed, two tabs lock the cover in position, and the knife is secure. The KnifeSafe is great for transporting a knife from one location to another - your neighborhood knife sharpener will thank you.[IMG]

I picked up my KnifeSafes from Sur La Table for about $5 each. For some reason, their online website does not have them, so I offer you this link from Chef's Resource instead.

This kind of knife guard makes a nice, and cheap, alternative to a knife roll, which is the heavy canvas thing that professional chefs use to move their gear from place to place. If you've only got a couple of knives you want to throw in your backpack, you can do worse then throwing a $3 edge cover on them and wrapping them in a plastic bag...

This kind of knife guard makes a nice, and cheap, alternative to a knife roll, which is the heavy canvas thing that professional chefs use to move their gear from place to place. If you've only got a couple of knives you want to throw in your backpack, you can do worse then throwing a $3 edge cover on them and wrapping them in a plastic bag...

Even if you have a knife roll, you'll need a knife cover for each knife in the roll. At least my roll (and the rolls that I've seen), doesn't protect the blade. The Edge-Mag and the plastic covers you cut into are the only ones slim enough to work well enough in a full knife roll.

A friend had a great tip regarding knife blocks - she taught me to insert the blade blade-side up so there isn't any wear on it when you slide it in and out of the block. I thought that was very clever.

If you are a cheap engineer, check around your local sign shops, I'll bet they'll have some scrap pieces of magnetic vinyl (too small for signs) that they might sell you dirt cheap (or even give you) to make your own magnetic covers.

A friend had a great tip regarding knife blocks - she taught me to insert the blade blade-side up so there isn't any wear on it when you slide it in and out of the block. I thought that was very clever.

Blade side up is definitely one way to avoid your knives scraping against wood, but it's also quite dangerous. Every knife block manufacturer will tell you not to place your blades upside down in their knife blocks. The danger is two fold (as it was explained to me): 1. People expect the blades to be facing down. A visitor extracting a knife from your block may not realize that the blade is facing the opposing direction. 2. With the knife handle on the bottom and the curve of the blade on top, the knife has a greater tendency to slide out of the block if tilted or partially extracted. If the knife was not properly inserted fully into the block, the knife can slip out instead of in as expected.

Most block manufacturer's that I've spoken to feel that the wood does not appreciably dull the knife when you insert the knife into the block. You're not cutting into the block, you are inserting the knife and the blade runs along the wood (just like when you slice food on your cutting board). Some knife block manufactuer's make blocks with slots going sideways (like the one I own), but they came this is for aesthetic reasons and not to reduce wear on the knives.

Thank young for reviewing my product. I was a chef in SF when I came up with the idea for the Edge-Mag. After patenting it, I was very fortunate and was able to license the distribution to Forschner. Its great to read your comments, THANK YOU!
You can visit me at www.knifeguard.com

I currently use the KnifeSafe when I go to friends places to cook or help out. I like it because it can't get knocked off, and its more secure than a towel, or other similarly fashioned knife protector. I got mine at Williams Sonoma. The large size fits my chef's, santoku, and global deba knifes, so I think it's pretty versatile.

I purchased mine from my local restuarant supply store. You may want to check your yellow pages or perform an online search for a restuarant suplier near your location and see if they carry it. I think Tina also mentioned that she saw some being carried in either Bed Bath & Beyond or Sur La Table, but I suggest you call those stores first.